Knecht’s

One of the latest trends in landscaping is the water feature. We have installed a couple of ponds and this year we have started to stock some water plants. Ponds do require some maintenance, however, there is nothing more relaxing and peaceful as the sound of the water moving within the pond. Close your eyes and you think you’re at the lake!

Pictured here is Griff and Robbie Wigley’s pond with a water lily and their goldfish! For more information on water features - please contact us.

Next year at our house we’re installing a dry creek bed. We have a swale that at certain times washes somewhat during periods of lots of rain (i.e. 2004) and with a dry creek bed - it looks just as it sounds except that with alot of rain - it will provide the roadway for the water to travel out of the yard instead of washing the dirt and grass away! This will be my water feature! Stay tuned for pictures and information!

This harbinger of fall is just beginning to show its fantastic red color. A shrub that in its standard form will grow to between 12 and 15 feet in height or a dwarf variety going to about six feet tall. It has deep green leaves during the growing season and in the fall, will turn a bright fire-engine red color. The unique characteristic of the burning bush is also the shape of its twigs. They are almost square in shape with interesting bark ridges or “wings” which will add a different dimension to the winter landscape. The burning bush can tolerate a good deal of shade as well as performing very well in full sun.

See our Ornamental & Flowering Trees section of the web site for a complete listing.

Leif has a new article posted in the library. Here are the first paragraphs:

The summer of 2004 has finally arrived! Summer in September is not altogether unusual, but more notable this year in the contrast with the cool temperatures we experienced in the traditional June, July and August period. The warmth together with the irregular rains we’ve received is a blessing of sorts for area row crop farmers. Corn and beans that escaped the frost damage of Aug. 21 now have at least some opportunity to continue the maturation process.

As I scan the fields, I’m guessing that the dry-down of these two main farm crops will be very uneven, with moisture content high in some areas of the field, and quite a bit lower in others. This could complicate the harvest of 2004, and with fuel costs at pretty high levels, some farmers may elect to leave crops in the field longer to let Mother Nature do more of the drying.

Leif’s articles appear in the Saturday edition of the Northfield News, in the Home and Real Estate section. All his previous articles are archived in our web library, going back to 2001.

In Saturday’s Northfield News: Microgrants help local businesses by Carol Roecklein.

After 20 years of working as a painting contractor, Northfield native Leif Knecht turned his passion for growing trees into a career in 1992. Following the addition of landscaping services to his business, he came to a crossroads: He had started business expansion efforts, but wanted to take it to the next level. So he applied for, and received, a microgrant through the Economic Development Authority (EDA) in 2000. Knecht is one of about 25 area business owners who have received a Clement F. Shearer Microgrant since the program’s inception in 1998. “Anybody with a startup business naturally has some reservation, and wonders if it will fly,” Knecht said. “As much as it was a material help, it was a confidence builder.” The grant allowed Knecht to build his first small cold-frame greenhouse and broaden his business appeal. In the years since receiving the microgrant, Knecht was able to build several more greenhouses and will build the 10th one this fall. His business today consists of five major parts: field and container growing, retail, design and landscape.

Continued…

Unless you’re a brand new citizen of Northfield, you know that the weekend after Labor Day is Northfield’s community celebration. This year, Leif’s sister and her kids came up for the weekend from Georgia. Gina grew up with the celebration and this year brought her kids to see a little bit of what it’s all about. For more information on the Defeat of Jesse James Days, visit the websie at www.defeatofjessejamesdays.org or www.djjd.org.

On Friday afternoon, my daughter and I took my two little grandsons to the carnival. After all, when you’re 2 and 4, what else is there except the carnival. Tyger enjoyed himself playing basketball. The games were slow and the gal running the basketball booth just let Tyger play as much as he wanted. What a fun experience he had!

These wonderful perennials are now showing their late season plumage. Ornamental grass provides a height element in the perennial garden, and an upright texture. The plumes of most ornamental grass begin to develop in mid-summer and by September are a delightful display of soft, cotton like feathers that blow and sway in the wind.

The stalks of grass change from the bright green of summer to a bronze, red and brown of the fall. These clumps of grass should be left standing through the winter as they are one of the delights in the winter landscape as the frost and snow cling to the stems. In the spring, cut the grass clump down to 4-6 inches.

See our Ornamental Grasses section of the web site for a complete listing.

Leif has a new article posted in the library. Here are the first paragraphs:

Deep within the midst of mankind’s ancient past lie clues to the elements of human experience which can calm, restore and energize our minds, bodies and spirit. Both our physical bodies and the structures we live in provide the home for our minds and spirits.

If we neglect the healthy care and maintenance of our bodies, the burden of poor physical condition can reduce our mental effectiveness and result in sagging spirits. If we do a poor job of constructing and maintaining our homes, work places, communities and public and private landscapes, we also shortchange both our productive capacity and depth of enjoyment of life.

I think most of us want to get the most out of life. After all, even a lengthy human life is in reality a rather brief journey. We live in a complex and rapidly changing world, but I suspect that some of life’s most deeply satisfying moments come when we are able for a time to step aside from the hustle and bustle and enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures.

Leif’s articles appear in the Saturday edition of the Northfield News, in the Home and Real Estate section. All his previous articles are archived in our web library, going back to 2001.

Our 20% off Fall Sale started yesterday - September 1st. There is no coupon required - just stop on in and you’ll receive 20% off your purchase. The only exception is for the few items that are already at a sale price - there won’t be any further discounts on those items. The sale will apply to all container trees, shrubs and perennials, including the balled and burlapped trees. (no sale prices apply to in-ground trees)

Fall is one of the best times to plant. The days are shorter which provides less moisture stress on plants so you don’t have to be quite so concerned with watering and they are all set to start growing vigorously as soon as spring gets here. We will continue landscaping all the way to Thanksgiving and have wonderful success with our plantings that are done late in the year.

The one thing that you need to do as an extra measure when you plant for fall is to be sure to mulch around the base of the plant, covering with mulch the entire area that you disturbed. This will “tuck the plant in” for winter. The winter winds will not be able to get through to the root ball when properly mulched in and should we not have alot of snow, your plants will have the added protection from severe cold.

Stop in for our Fall Sale soon!